21f^ tRANSACTIONS OF THE NORTFlfiRjs! 



teen thousand dollars, or a clear profit of ten thousand dollars. l( this 

 sum is kept at compound interest for twenty years it will amount to 

 fifty-eight thousand five hundred sixty four dollars, supposing it to double 

 in every eight years. But at twenty years we may cut three-fourths of the 

 balance, or twenty-five thousand three hundred twelve trees, worth ul 

 least two dollars each, or fifty thousand six hundred twenty-four dollars. 

 This at compound interest for ten years will amount to about one hun- 

 dred twenty-two thousand five hundred dollars. We then have left eight 

 thousand four hundred thirty-seven trees thirty years old, worth not less 

 than ten dollars per tree, or eighty-four thousand three hundred seventy 

 dollars — an aggregate profit of two hundred sixty-five thousand sixty- 

 four dollars in thirty years from fifty acres of land. 



But if you. plant corn every year on fifty acres, allow it to produce 

 forty bushels per acre, and sell at fifty cents per bushel, allow interest on 

 net profit each year at com])ound rate for the same time, or thirty years 

 from first planting, you will not get it higher than sixty thousand or sev- 

 enty thousand dollars. Thus we find the trees will yield a profit of one 

 hundred ninety-five thousand sixty-four dollars more than the corn crop 

 at fifty cents a bushel. 



It will be seen that in this calculation the trees at ten years are put 

 at fifteen cents each, while the probability is that they will be wortti 

 nearer seventy-five cents. But if each tree will make three cuts five feet 

 long, a good fence can be made from them by inserting them one foot 

 into this ground, nine inches apart, and nailing another on the top to keep 

 them steady. It would require eight of these poles to make a rod of. 

 fence, which at fifteen cents each would only be one dollar and twenty- 

 cents per rod. All can see that this is a very low estimate of the value 

 of such poles as they will be at that age. Mr. Scofield found that his, 

 at twelve years old, averaged three posts, worth seventy-five cents. But 

 if they should happen to be worth fifty cents each at ten years, which is 

 quite likely, then we will have a clear profit of forty-five thousand four 

 hundred thirty-seven dollars — equivalent to four thousand five hundred 

 forty-three dollars per year for the first ten years, the least profitable 

 time we are growing the trees. 



Is it not strange that so few are lured into a business so profitable — - 

 so little liable to loss by fire, flood, or drought, or low prices, and so en- 

 tirely exempt from that care and anxiety incident to the state of farm 

 crops, where a thousand circumstances tend to fluctuate prices.'' What- 

 farmer does not know how difficult it is to determine the exact time to sell 

 to get the best prices for his products ? How often do they hold over for 

 larger prices and get less ? Why not have something growing on which 

 they can rely with more certainty .'* 



But there is another strong reason why we should go more extensively 

 into this business. It is admitted by all who pretend to a knowledge of 

 this subject, that our present available timber will be exhausted, even at 

 the present rate of comsumption, in about twenty-five years. This fact 

 alone should alarm every one to do his share in warding off the impend- 



